Gas-engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

W. S. SHARPNECK.

GAS ENGINE.

No. 391,486. Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. s. SHARPNEGK.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

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Sierras WILLIAM S. SHARPNECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAS-ENGINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,486, dated October 23, 1888.

Application filed December 23, 1887. Serial No. 258.844. (No model.) i

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. SHAnrNncn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following` is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my engine; Fig. 2, a similar section of the piston and part of the frame at right angles to that shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 8, a similar section of part of a similar engine having more lighting-'apertures than that shown in Fig. l. This improvement relates more particularly to that class of gas-engines in which the movement of the piston draws air and gas into the cylinder to be exploded by momentary contact with ajet of gas through openings in the side of the cylinder; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the details of construction, A represents the base, which is closed at the top, excepting a space to receive the cylinder B, and is provided with a diaphragm, a, and an exhaust-pipe, O. At each side of the base a hole is cast large enough to admit the crank .1), which holes are covered by plates E, (see Fig. 2,) provided with bearings for the shaft d ot the engine. These plates are provided with tapering openings to receive gun-metal boxes F, of corresponding taper, which are divided longitudinally, so that by screwing in the gland G the bearings will always be kept tight.

The cylinder B is surrounded with the usual water-jacket, H, and is iirmly bolted to the top of the base. At the top of theJ cylinder is a head, I, above which is the valve-chamber having air and gas pipes lettered, respectively, J and K, and provided with ball-valves L, above which are cages M, screwed into the top of the valve-chamber and provided with perforations m, as shown.

At N is a hollow pistomwhicli is connected to the crank by the pitman O, the upper end of which is provided with a cam, o, that op` erates the exhaust-valve P, the stem ofwhich (p) works through a hole in the diaphragm n in the piston N. a pin, p, is firmly secured, which passes through slots a in the side of the piston and into eyes formed in the ends of the rods Q., working in grooves in the outer surface ofthe piston,and having attached to their lower ends the upper ends of the springs q, whose other ends are hung upon hooks carried by the pitman O and act in such a manner as to tend to keep the valve upon its seat when not acted on by the earn o. On the inside of the cylinder is an annular recess, b, which may be filled with brous material and communicates with a lubricator, R, by the pipe S and a passage, T, through the water-jacket H. On the 0pposite side of the cylinder is shown the lighting device, which consists of a chamber, U, having a pipe, a, by which the burned gas may be carried oft'. A gas-burner, XV, is set into the lower part of this chamber, and is provided with a cock, w, to regulate the tlow of gas to produce ajet of the proper size to ignite the mingled gas and air in the cylinder.

A series of holes, b Z), are formed in the cylinder B, the outer ends of which terminate in the igniting-chamber, and their inner ends register7 with a series of holes, n, in the piston when the latter is at the top of its stroke.

I have shown three igniting=holes in Fig. l; but more may be used, asin Fig. 3. It will be seen that they are arranged spirall y around the piston and cylinder, by which means there is no danger of the gas igniting until the piston has risen to its full extent, whereas if the holes were arranged vertically there would be a probability of the gas lighting too soon, because as soon as the upper hole in the piston registered with the lower opening in the cylinder ignition might take piace; but with the arrangement shown ignition cannot occur until t-he top hole in the piston registers with the top hole in the cylinder.

I prefer in some cases to use a head, I, with a depending extension, as shown .iu Fig. 3', which will admit of the piston passing up into an annularehaniber between the extension In the bottom of the stern p' IOO and the cylinder, so that said extension will partially fill the piston at the time the latter is at its extreme upward stroke, and thus the gas will be ignited at the top part of the-explosion-chamber formed by the hollow piston.

The pitman O may be secured to the piston in any desirable manner; but I prefer to employ a pin, Z, which may be firmly held in position by the setscrews z z passing through projections a, cast on the inside of the piston below the diaphragm u.

The igniting-chamber may be made as in Fig. l or in Fig. 3. In the former the holes in the cylinder all end in a substantially or nearly vertical line outside the cylinder, and I use a series of deflectors, u, to defiect the gas upward at the time of the explosion. In Fig. 3 the igniting-chamber is shown as passing partially around the cylinder and corresponding substantially to the holes in the cylinder, which in this case all radiate from the center of the cylinder, instead of some of them being set tangentially, as in Fig. 1.

The operation is as follows: The gas-pipe being connected with any suitable supply of gas and the valves regulated to give the proper amount of gas and air, the downward motion of the piston will on the first stroke draw in a charge of gas and air; but the air, being the heaviest, will tend to fall to the bottom of the hollow piston, and as the upstroke commences and valve P opens part of the air will pass out of said valve P, leaving a mixture of air and gas remaining in the hollow piston. As soon as the piston has reached the end of its upstroke, the igniting-holes in the piston and those in the cylinder register and the mixture of gas and air in the hollow piston explodes. The valve P being now closed, the piston is driven downward with great force until the crank has passed the lower center, when the valve P opens andv allows the main portion of the consumed gases to escape, and the piston again rises until the crank passes the upper center, when the valve P again closes, and as the crank continues its motion, impelled by the momentum of the iiy-wheel, the piston draws in a new supply of air and gas on top of asmall portion of the consumed gases which is still contained in the chamber of the piston above the valve. As the crank passes the center and the piston begins to ascend, the valve P again opens, and as the piston rises the remainder of the consumed gas escapes, with probably some of the newly-drawn-in air, vas the latter', being heavier than the gas, descends lowest and passes out through the valve P as the piston rises. Vhen the piston again reaches the top of its stroke and the crank again passes the center, the valve is again closed, and as the holes in the cylinder and piston now register the mixture of gas and air explodes, forcing down the piston as before, when the piston again rises and the beforementioned operations are repeated. It will be seen from this that the explosion takes place only at every other revolution and when the piston is at the top of its upstroke, and that at every other downstroke the gas and air is drawn in, which, when the piston has again risen, is exploded and forces the piston downward to give the next succeeding downstroke.

By the use of the tight base the burned gas cannot escape into the room, but must pass to the exhaust-pipe C, and, moreover, the base forms a reservoir for water and oil, of which there is to be sufficient set in the base to allow the end of the crank to dip into at every revolution,and thus keeps the crank-pin thoroughly lubricated.

'Ihe lubrication of the cylinder is effected perfectly by means of the lubricator R and recess b, which is so arranged that the piston constantly works through a ring of the lubricating materials. Any surplus oil or drippings from the cylinder or piston will, of course, be caught in the reservoir in the base and will serve for lubricating the shaft and crank-pin, for as the latter dips into the oil caught in the base A it not only is itself lubricated, but oil from it falls on the shaft, and thus lubricates its bearings. Should there be too much oil in the base it may be drawn off and used again in the lubricator.

It will be seen that by this construction a gas-engine is produced that is not only simple and cheap, but one that will be durable and not likely to get out of order, as it has but few moving parts.

No claim is here made to the lubricating devices, as they are shown and claimed in my application, Serial No.241,872,f1led .Tu ne 20,1887.

Having thus shown what I consider the preferable form of my improvement, but without limiting myself to the exact form described, I claim as newl. The combination, in a gas-engine, of a cylinder, a piston, and a crank-shaft operated thereby, with suitable inlet-passages, an igniting device arranged to ignite the charge as the crank passes one of its centers at every other revolution of its shaft, and an exhaust-valve constructed to discharge equally at every revolution, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a gas-engine, of a cylinder, a piston, a crank, and a shaft operated thereby, and suitable inlet and outlet valves, said cylinder and piston being provided with ignitiug-apertures arranged to register as the crank passes its center, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a gas-engine, of a cylinder and a hollow piston working therein, each having a plurality of igniting-holes arranged in an inclined position around said cylinder and piston, substantially as described.

4. The combination,with the piston and cyl` inder of a gas-engine, of a valve, a pin connected therewith, links attached to said pin, and springs acting on the links, substantially as described.

5. The combination,with a cylinder and hollow piston, of a head for said cylinder,having an extension depending into the cylinder and ICO IIO

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carrying a valve-chamber, and an inlet from the vaivechamber into the cylinder, and t-he Wal] of said hollowpiston passing between said extension and cylinder, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a. gas-engine, of a. cylinder, a piston Working therein, a. pitman7 a. crank and main shaft operated thereby, suitable inlet and outlet valves, said cylinder and piston being provided with corresponding ig niting-apertures arranged to register as the crank passes one of its centers, a cani ou the pitman operating the outletyalve at one extremity of the pistons stroke, and 2L spring closing said outlet-valve simultaneously with 15 the registration of the ignition-apertures, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturejn presence of two Witnesses,this 14th day of Deeernber, 1887.

VILLIAM S. SHARPNECK.

WVitnesses:

WM. T. ROBERTSON, Crus. H. RAEDER. 

